The present invention relates to a no-rinse hard surface cleaner that provides effective cleaning performance as well as streak-free performance on high gloss surfaces.
A relatively specialized category of cleaning compositions of interest to the art is one that is often referred to as hard surface cleaning compositions. These compositions are specifically designed or formulated so that they can be applied to a soiled hard surface (e.g., appliances, glass, painted walls, finished woodwork, etc.) and removed by wiping with a dry or damp cloth without a subsequent rinsing operation. For example, in Published South African Patent Application No. 666,781 a hard surface cleaner composition is described that comprises from 1-10% of an anionic surfactant (e.g., alkyl sulfate or alkyl aryl sulphonate) or a nonionic surfactant (e.g., an ethylene oxide condensate of a fatty alcohol or of an alkyl phenol) and at least 20% of a 1:1 to 4:1 ratio mixture of an alkali metal (or ammonium) borate and sodium carbonate and that, at a 1% concentration in water, has a pH of at least 9.6.
Unfortunately, consumers desire these types of compositions to satisfy competing demands. First, they wish the cleaner to effectively clean and, in some cases, disinfect the hard surfaces. At the same time, however, they do not want the cleaner to leave unsightly streaks on transparent or glossy surfaces.
For example, glass cleaning compositions are formulated not only to remove soils and dirt from the glass surface, but also to do so in a streak-free manner. In this regard a glass surface is unique among hard surfaces because it reveals streaks and deposits, due to its transparency and smoothness that are not perceptible when an opaque or textured surface is cleaned. While these streaks may be residual soil not removed by the cleaning composition, they are often a result of the cleaning composition itself. In some instances, the streaks are occasioned by the deposition of solid components contained in the composition, e.g., the surfactants, hydrotropes, builders, etc. In other cases, the solvent may evaporate too slowly or too quickly, thereby leaving a greasy or smudged appearance. Thus, there is a need for a hard surface cleaner that provides effective cleaning performance yet is streak free on transparent or glossy surfaces.
In addition, it is oftentimes desirable to provide disinfectant or antimicrobial performance characteristics in such hard surface cleaners. Quaternary ammonium compounds are known to provide germicidal effectiveness. These compounds may, however, interfere and reduce the cleaning efficacy of hard surface cleaning compositions or, as is often the case, cause streaks unless they are subsequently rinsed from treated surfaces.
A number of cleaning compositions have been proposed to address these concerns. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,505 describes an aqueous pump-spray composition that contains a germicidially effective quaternary ammonium compound, an ethoxylated alcohol nonionic surfactant, d-limonene, an alkali builder, and a monoether of an aliphatic glycol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,931 describes an aqueous liquid detergent composition that contains a nonionic surfactant that includes a glycoside surfactant, a water miscible organic solvent, a water-soluble detergent builder, and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,984 describes a cleaning composition that includes a quaternary ammonium compound, a nonionic surfactant, and a glycol ether solvent. The nonionic surfactant is selected from amine oxide compounds, ethoxylated phenols and ethoxylated alcohols, and alkoxylated alkanolamides.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,280 describes a pine oil cleaning composition that includes pine oil, a pine oil solublizing agent selected from alkoxylated alcohols and alcohols, a quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant, an anionic surfactant, a surfactant compatibilizing agent selected from the group of monvalent alkali and/or polyvalent alkaline earth metal salts and ammonium salts or amphoteric surfactants, and water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,482 describes a non-streaking glass cleaning composition that includes a surfactant, ethylene glycol monohexyl ether, an organic cosolvent that comprises a mixture of a low boiling point organic cosolvent and a high boiling point organic cosolvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,615 describes an anti-microbial cleaning composition that includes a solvent, a surfactant selected from amphoteric, nonionic and mixtures, a quaternary ammonium surfactant, a builder and water. The nonionic surfactant is preferably an amine oxide and is present in an amount that is at least twice the amount of the builder, which is preferably EDTA.
In spite of these compositions, there is still room for improvement. It would be desirable to provide a concentrated no-rinse hard surface cleaning composition that provides anti-microbial effectiveness and streak free performance. In addition, it would be desirable to provide a ready-to-use no-rinse hard surface cleaner that provides effective cleaning and streak-free performance. The present invention achieves these goals.
In accordance with the present invention, a concentrated and dilutable, non-rinse hard surface cleaner is provided that comprises (a) either (i) a combination of a nonionic surfactant and a quaternary ammonium surfactant; or (ii) a combination of an nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant, wherein the nonionic surfactant is an alkyl polyglycoside and optionally an amine oxide such that when an amine oxide is present, there are no other nonionic surfactants present in the composition and the alkyl polyglycoside comprises at least about 90% by weight of the total amount of nonionic surfactants present in the composition and such that when there is no amine oxide present, the alkyl polyglycoside comprises 100% by weight of the total amount of nonionic surfactants present in the composition (b) a water soluble glycol ether, (c) a builder, (d) d-limonene, and (e) water.
The composition may also include pH modifying agents, buffers, fragrances, thickeners, dyes, or pigments, so long as they do not detract from the advantageous performance aspects achieved by the compositions of the present invention. Concentrated as used in the following specification and claims refers to those compositions containing less than about 80% water that can be further diluted and still provide effective cleaning performance.
Although the composition can be applied without further dilution, it is intended that, in use, the composition will be diluted with water to provide a ready-to-use hard surface cleaner composition having a composition to water ratio of from about 1:1 to about 1:10, preferably from about 1:2 to about 1:4, more preferably about 1:3.
In this regard, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a ready-to-use hard surface cleaner that provides effective cleaning performance as well as streak free performance. In this aspect, the term xe2x80x9cready-to-usexe2x80x9d as used in the following specification and claims refers to those cleaning compositions that need not be further diluted and are characterized by containing greater than about 80% water, preferably from about 80% to about 97% water, more preferably from about 90% to about 95% water by weight of the ready-to-use composition.
In this aspect, the present invention is directed to a ready-to-use streak-free hard surface cleaner composition that includes either (i) a combination of a nonionic surfactant and a quaternary ammonium surfactant; or (ii) a combination of an nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant, wherein the nonionic surfactant is an alkyl polyglycoside and optionally an amine oxide such that when an amine oxide is present, there are no other nonionic surfactants present in the composition and the alkyl polyglycoside comprises at least about 90% by weight of the total amount of nonionic surfactants present in the composition and such that when there is no amine oxide present, the alkyl polyglycoside comprises 100% by weight of the total amount of nonionic surfactants present in the composition and wherein the total amount of surfactant present in the composition is from about 0.01 to about 10% by weight of the composition.
In addition, the ready-to-use composition includes from about 1% to about 10% by weight of the composition of water soluble glycol ether; from about 0.1 to about 1% of a builder selected from the group of alkali metal carbonates; from about 0.01 to about 0.5% of a sequestering agent selected from alkali metal ethylenediamine tetraacetate, wherein when an amine oxide is present it does not exceed twice the amount of alkali metal ethylene diamine tetraacetate present; from about 0.01% to about 1% by weight of the composition of a terpene; and, at least about 90% water, wherein the composition provides streak-free cleaning of hard surfaces.
The invention further comprises a method of cleaning hard surfaces by applying the composition of the present invention to the surface and removing the compositions together with any soil present.
The invention also relates to a method of cleaning hard surfaces that includes diluting the composition of the present invention with water to provide a cleaning solution having a ratio of cleaning composition to water from about 1:1 to about 1:10, applying the diluted composition to the hard surface, and removing the composition. According to the methods of the present invention, rinsing of the composition after application is not required.
Unless otherwise stated, amounts listed in percentage are in weight percent of the composition. As used in the present specification and claims the term xe2x80x9cstreak-freexe2x80x9d refers to little or no visible product residue when wiped onto a mirrored glass or a glossy ceramic surface in a standardized manner.